Knicks’ Frustrations Boil Over as Mike Brown Challenges Karl-Anthony Towns in Wake of Loss to Suns
The New York Knicks are in a tough spot. They've dropped eight of their last ten games, and Saturday night’s loss to the Phoenix Suns didn’t just sting - it exposed a growing disconnect between head coach Mike Brown and star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
With Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart sidelined, Towns was the focal point of the offense - and the Suns knew it. Phoenix dialed up the pressure, sending extra bodies at Towns in the post.
The result? Seventeen turnovers for the Knicks, three of them from Towns.
Brown didn’t need a stat sheet to know that was a problem.
“We said, ‘Hey, when you catch down there, they're coming. So you may have to spray, quickly,’” Brown said postgame, referencing a halftime adjustment the coaching staff emphasized. “And I think he tried a couple times.”
Trying wasn’t enough. The execution just wasn’t there. Brown didn’t sugarcoat it.
“They got their hands on the ball and we ended up turning it over. But we knew they were coming,” he said.
“I thought our spacing was good. We just didn't get the ball out to the right guys in a timely manner.”
This wasn’t the first time Brown has publicly called out Towns this week. After a recent loss that featured Draymond Green doing Draymond Green things, Brown brushed off the antics and zeroed in on Towns’ foul trouble as the real issue.
“That's how [Green] plays. I didn't think it impacted us,” Brown said.
“What I did feel was KAT picking up his fifth foul and us having to sit him down. That hurt us because we were playing relatively good at the time.”
That’s two games in a row where Brown has pointed the finger - directly or not - at Towns. And with the trade deadline less than three weeks away and the team’s internal expectations reportedly as high as a Finals appearance, this kind of tension between the head coach and the team’s highest-paid player is less than ideal.
Brown insists the team won’t “overhaul” its approach, but the clock is ticking. Whether these public critiques are Brown’s way of lighting a fire under Towns or a sign of deeper frustration, the dynamic is becoming harder to ignore - and harder to navigate.
Before tipoff, Suns head coach Jordan Ott gave Towns plenty of praise, calling him a tough cover thanks to his aggression and skill. MSG Networks analyst Clyde Frazier was on the same page early in the game, hyping up Towns’ assertiveness on a first-quarter drive by saying he looked “like a man possessed.”
But even that moment turned sour. Second-year center Oso Ighodaro came over with the double-team and stripped the ball - a strong defensive play, sure, but also a snapshot of a night where Towns’ strengths were neutralized by poor decision-making and timely pressure.
After the game, Brown maintained that the Knicks’ spacing was solid - the issue, he said, was decision-making. Again, that spotlight swung back to Towns.
Brown acknowledged the big man “tried” to make the necessary adjustments but ultimately didn’t. That kind of language carries weight, especially from a coach who’s worked with some of the game’s all-time greats and isn’t afraid to challenge his stars.
Towns’ talent has never been in question. But the gap between what he’s capable of and what he consistently delivers is something the Knicks are going to have to solve - and soon.
That responsibility doesn’t fall on Towns alone. Brown and his staff have to find a way to connect with their star, tighten up the execution, and get everyone back on the same page.
Because right now, New York’s championship aspirations are hanging in the balance. And unless something changes fast, the foundation Brown’s been trying to build since July may not hold up when the pressure really hits.